the review:

Visiting Mr. Green is a play that requires prefect performances from the actors who take on the roles of Mr. Green and Ross Gardiner.

Press night found eighty-three year old, Warren Mitchell - best known for his role as Alf Garnett in the TV show 'Till death us do part'- showing us how it is done, in his perfect characterization of a recent widower. The lonely character is juxtaposed with Ross, a young and successful American Express employee who has been sentenced to community service - weekly visits to the somewhat grumpy, Mr. Green and the 'victim' of his high-speed driving,

The first act consists of four short humorous scenes, as the two get to know one another. But it is down to business in the second half when it comes to light that these two characters share much in common when it comes to family dramas.

Mr. Green's secret spawns from his inflexible religious position and Ross is faced with a similar family crisis stemming from his homophobic father. Will the two equally lonely men find comfort and salvation from each other? Go see, and find out.

What makes this play so enjoyable is the feeling that you are looking though someone's window and seeing life as it really is. As the story unfolds, the audience is faced with those familiar scenes with which everyone can identify. We are drawn into the characters lives, but this is no roller-coaster ride. A journey of self-realization peppered with a light humorous touch, we are quietly reminded that the world still struggles with the same age old problems. At the same time we are 'vividly' aware of the talented Mr Mitchell and the very credible relationship Mr. Green shares with a young man who, were it not for 'fate', he would never have met.

Don't miss the chance to see this two-hander, West End gem.

Widower Mr. Green (Mitchell) is almost hit by a speeding car driven by corporate executive Ross Gardiner (Turner). Found guilty of reckless driving, Ross is ordered to spend the next six months making weekly visits to Mr. Green. What starts off as a beautifully crafted comedy about two people who resent being in the same room together develops into a gripping and poignant drama. Family secrets are revealed and old wounds reopened as both men come to understand and tolerate one another’s differences.

Gideon Turner’s theatre credits include Laertes in Hamlet and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet, both for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and most recently, English Touring Theatre’s production of The Changeling. Gideon’s television credits include Hotel Babylon, Cromwell, Bad Girls and Dalziel and Pascoe.

Jeff Baron’s multi-award winning play Visiting Mr. Green had its world premiere in 1996 at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. It opened in New York’s Union Square Theatre in 1997 where it ran for 12 months starring Eli Wallach in the title role. In the past 10 years, the play has been seen in 37 countries and has been performed in 22 languages in over 300 productions. This new UK production is directed by former Chichester Festival Theatre Director Patrick Garland.

Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY

how

to book tickets call +44 870 060 6632


when

Previews from April 3, 2008

performances

Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm; Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm

tickets

£20  (US$42) - £42.50  (US$90)

Concess ions

Thursday matinee £5 (US$11) off top two prices
Previews (3 - 7 April) £10 (US$21) off top price seats
Day seats available for £20  (US$42) (only bookable on the day)

editor, April  2008

the review:

The first act of Speed-the-Plow is sheer brilliance. Perhaps the best theatre I have seen for a number of years.

The rapid fire dialogue between the two American actors, Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Spacey is almost sublime as they seamlessly rush through the two-hander with a sense of stage physicality which almost belies belief.  Mamet's dialogue is consistently snappy and precise. The lounge lizard performance of Goldblum in his role as top Hollywood Studio Executive Bobby Gould mirrors and mimics the highly strung character of Charlie Fox.  Played by Kevin Spacey, Charlie literally jumps (repeatedly) for joy at the idea that the script he offers Bobby may - for the first time in his life - make him a success.

'Perfection' in the office is interrupted by the entrance of the temporary secretary who manages to convince Bobby that she should do something useful, such as write a report on what appears to be a very dull - but 'worthy' book, which could be turned into a movie.

Later that same evening, the second act finds Goldblum continuing in his role as the observer and participant, this time at his home waiting for the arrival of the temp and her report.  He plans to seduce her; but at the same time he is unable to disguise or suppress his need for assurance that he is liked, admired and respected in his capacity as a senior executive with the power to 'green light' scripts.  The flow of the scene is constantly interrupted by the extracts they read verbatim from the 'extremely boring doomsday scenario, lackluster' book .  Cutting into the energy and excitement which dominated the first act, the audience is left with little choice but to ask the question 'why is Bobby seduced by a boring monotonous girl with little charm?' And as he falls upon his own petard, seduced by a pretty woman AND the idea of being a good person, Goldblum's character chooses to pursue the 'worthy' plot at the cost of Charlie Fox's commercial script.  The audience is left betrayed by the unconvincing dialogue which moves the cynical Bobby from the seducer to the seduced.  And 'virtue' proves an inadequate motive to sustain the momentum of Mamet's play

As the third and final act comes to a climax, Charlie challenges Bobby's decision to choose monotony and vanity over commercialism and the bottom line; and it becomes only too apparent that the three cardboard cut-out characters are little more than a mirror reflecting the very temporary and fragile nature of the movie business.

While it is unclear whether Mamet's dialogue just didn't cut it - in particular during the second act with Bobby and Karen (Laura Michelle Kelly) - or whether the playwright was placing the onus of responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the production's director  (in this case Matthew Warchus) it remained Warhaus' job to engage the audience for the duration.

While each character used their own wit to make their case to the others, the play ultimately leaves the audience feeling short-changed.  The promise of a great script in the first act slowly evaporates..... but perhaps there is an explanation for this sense of loss.   'Realistic ' doomsday movies have become basic fare in today's society and perhaps that is why this 20th anniversary production didn't quite work as well as it did just at the time the Berlin Wall came down.

But don't miss it. The moments of genius from Goldblum and Spacey make this exceptional theatre and if you feel the need to heckle during the play, a choice phrase might be 'Al Gore'.

Hollywood producers Bobby Gould (Jeff Goldblum) and Charlie Fox (Kevin Spacey) engage in a verbal boxing match centred around the eternal debate of art versus money. Should Gould go for another bad blockbuster that will make his fortune or put himself on the line for an adaptation of a spiritual, apocalyptic novel offered to him by his beautiful secretary, Karen (Laura Michelle Kelly)?

The first production of Speed-the-Plow was presented in New York in 1988 in which Madonna made her Broadway debut. The production subsequently transferred to the Royal National Theatre with Alfred Molina, Rebecca Pidgeon and Colin Stinton in the cast. Speed-the-Plow was last in the West End in 2000 with Mark Strong and Patrick Marber in the cast and in 2006, the play was revived in Los Angeles with Alicia Silverstone as Karen.

Following the run at The Old Vic, Speed-the-Plow will be presented at the prestigious Rührfestspiele Festival in Recklinghausen, Germany which previously hosted The Old Vic’s production of Richard II with Kevin Spacey. Speed-the-Plow is produced by The Old Vic in association with Rührfestspiele Recklinghausen.

His films include The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Verdict, The Untouchables, House of Games (writer/director), Oleanna (writer/director), Homicide (writer/director), The Spanish Prisoner (writer/director), Heist (writer/director) and Spartan (writer/director).

Mamet is also the author of Warm and Cold and two other children’s books, Passover and The
Duck and The Goat, Writing in Restaurants, Some Freaks and Make-Believe Town, The Hero Pony and The China Man, a book of poems, On Directing Film, The Cabin, a book of cartoons Tested on Orphans, and the novels The Village, The Old Religion and Wilson. His most recent books include Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business and the acting books True & False and Three Uses of the Knife. His new play November opens on Broadway January 2008 and he has also written and directed the film Redbelt starring Chiwetel Ejifor, which opens in the U.S. April 2008. Glengarry Glen Ross was recently awarded the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

Jeff Goldblum’s career spans film, television, and theatre. He most recently completed production on Adam Resurrected and on television, he garnered an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance on Will & Grace. Other recent screen credits include Man of the Year, starring opposite Robin Williams, Christopher Walken and Laura Linney, Fay Grim, with Parker Posey, The Life Aquatic with Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe and Cate Blanchett and Igby Goes Down, opposite Susan Sarandon, Ryan Philippe and Claire Danes.

Goldblum’s extensive film credits include Death Wish, Robert Altman’s California Split and Nashville, Jurassic Park, Independence Day, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Holy Man, The Prince of Egypt, Nine Months, Annie Hall, The Big Chill, Silverado, The Fly, Deep Cover, The Right Stuff, Between The Lines, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Into the Night and The Tall Guy. In 2005, Goldblum received critical praise for his return to Broadway, starring in Martin
McDonagh’s The Pillowman with Billy Crudup, Zeliko Ivanek and Michael Stuhlberg. He received an Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance and was nominated for a Drama Desk and Drama League Award. The play received a Drama Critics Award and was nominated for a Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League Award. Goldblum was nominated for an Academy Award for directing the live action short film, Little Surprises, and he served on the jury of The 1999 Cannes Film Festival.

Laura Michelle Kelly as Karen

Laura is currently playing Galadriel in The Lord Of The Rings. Her creation of Mary Poppins in Cameron Mackintosh’s musical won her an Olivier Award for Best Actress and she received great critical acclaim for her performance as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Laura made her Broadway debut in David Leveaux’s revival of Fiddler on the Roof and her West End debut in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Other musical credits include Whistle Down The Wind at the Aldwych, Peter Pan at the Royal Festival Hall
directed by Julia Mckenzie, Les Misérables and Mamma Mia at the Prince Edward Theatre. In 2001, Laura became the first recipient of the BBC’s Voice Of Musical Theatre Award. Film credits include Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

In 2007, Laura released her first solo album, The Storm Inside.

Kevin Spacey as Charlie Fox.

Kevin Spacey is Artistic Director of The Old Vic Theatre Company. He directed its
inaugural production Cloaca, before appearing in National Anthems, The Philadelphia Story, Richard II and A Moon for the Misbegotten which subsequently transferred to the Brooks Atkinson Theater, New York. Previous theatre includes The Iceman Cometh (Evening Standard and Olivier Awards for Best Actor, and Tony Award nomination) directed by Howard Davies (Almeida, The Old Vic and Broadway); Lost in Yonkers (Tony Award, Best Supporting Actor);
Long Day’s Journey into Night, with Jack Lemmon, directed by Jonathan Miller (Broadway and West End) and The Seagull (Kennedy Center, Washington DC).
Films include Superman Returns, Beyond the Sea (director and actor), The Usual Suspects (Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor), American Beauty (Academy and BAFTA Awards, Best Actor), Swimming with Sharks, Se7en, LA Confidential, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Negotiator, Hurlyburly, K-Pax and The Shipping News. His production company Trigger Street has produced the films The United States of Leland and The Big Kahuna. Forthcoming production projects include 21 for Sony Pictures, and The Rules for Dreamworks. His latest
screen appearance is Recount, a co-production between his Trigger Street production company and HBO, which charts the behind the scenes story of the 2000 US election and the 36 day battle for the Presidency between George W Bush and Al Gore.

Matthew Warchus (director) is a director of theatre, opera and film.

He currently has two shows running in the West End: Boeing Boeing and the theatrical adaptation The Lord Of The Rings, which he also co-wrote.

Other theatre credits include Buried Child (Royal National Theatre), Endgame (Albery Theatre), Our House (Cambridge Theatre) which won the 2003 Olivier Award for Best Musical, Follies (Broadway, five Tony Nominations), LIFE X3, (Royal National Theatre, The Old Vic, UK Tour, Broadway), True West (Donmar Warehouse, Broadway) for which he received a Tony Award Nomination, The Unexpected Man (Royal Shakespeare Company, West End, Broadway), ART (Broadway, West End, Los Angeles), for which he won an Olivier and Tony Award Nomination for Best Director and an Olivier and Tony Award for Best Play, Hamlet (Royal Shakespeare Company and US Tour), Henry V (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Volpone (Royal National Theatre) for both of which he won Evening Standard Awards for Best Director, and Much Ado About Nothing (West End) for which he won the Globe Theatre Award for Most Promising Newcomer.

Designer Rob Howell
Lighting Paul Pyant

The Old Vic, The Cut, London SE1 8NB 2/3

how

to book tickets call +44 870 060 6628


when

Previews from 1 February 2008
Press night: Tuesday 12 February at 7pm
Booking to Saturday 26 April 2008

performances

Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm; Saturday at 2.30pm

tickets

£10  (US$20) - £47.50  (US$100)

Concess ions
The Aditya Mittal tickets 100 £12 tickets at all performances. Bookable in advance, but tickets must for under 25s be collected in person from the Box Office with proof of age.
Senior citizens Top 3 prices reduced to £20 for Mon evenings and Sat matinees.
Groups of 10+ Top 3 prices reduced to £25 for Mon–Wed evenings.
School groups of 10+ £10 tickets Mon-Wed evenings.
Disabled patrons Top 3 prices reduced to £20 for all performances.
Previews £2.50 off top 3 prices (Old Vic supporters £5 off) 1 – 11 February.
All concessions are limited and subject to availability

editor, February 2008

The exhibition looks at the secret world of couture, exploring the structure of fashion’s grand houses, the skill and craftsmanship of the ateliers and the lifestyle of the chic clientele. Illustrated with fabulous period gowns and photographs, it shows the process and inspiration behind some of the most glamorous styles of all time.

Post-War & Théâtre de la Mode

The New Look

Inside the World of Couture

Photography & Illustration

Tailoring

Cocktail & Early Evening

Evening & Ballgowns

The Legacy

to book tickets call +44845 6429 747

The programme:

The 02 Arena opens to the general public at 10am.
Doors to the arena will open at 1.30pm
Play starts at approximately 2.30pm.
Play ends at approximately 6.30pm.

Four ATP Tour players including Andy Murray and Tim Henman and two past Champions from previous Betfair Turbo Tennis events compete for a prize purse
. The two top-ranked ATP players will receive a bye into the second round. There will be a total of five matches over the course of the event and the eventual Betfair Turbo Tennis champion will be crowned at the end of the afternoon and presented with a cheque for $100,000

A few new rules for Betfair Turbo Tennis:

1. Matches will last for 30 minutes.
After 27 minutes, a klaxon will sound signalling that the current game will be the last game of the match. If the score is tied after this game a sudden death point will be played to decide the winner. The player who would have been due to serve in the next game will serve this point. The receiver will choose the court to receive into.

2. The following breaks will be permitted.
a. Between serves - 10 seconds
b. Between points - 15 seconds
c. Between games - 30 seconds
Failure to comply with these times will result in the offending player forfeiting the point. The receiver can also forfeit a point for delaying tactics.

3. At deuce, no advantage will be played, producing a sudden-death scenario. The receiver will be allowed to choose in which court he wishes to receive.

4. There will be one change of ends after 15 minutes (at the end of the game in progress). A one-minute rest period will be allowed at the change of ends only.

5. A drinks/towel station will be situated at each end of the court. Players will be allowed to use these at any time during the match subject to compliance with the time restraints. A player may choose to forfeit a point in order to spend time at the station.

6. Players will be required to serve with the first two balls given to them by the ball children. If a player rejects a ball, he will be left with just one serve. If a player has a ball in his pocket but asks the ball boy for two more balls he will also forfeit a serve.

7. Once the server has thrown the ball up for the toss, he must hit it. If he doesn?t, it will be counted as a fault.

8. Players must be ready for their match one minute after the end of the previous match.

9. There will be a two-minute warm up time prior to each match. Warm up facilities will also be available courtside throughout the session e.g. bikes, skipping ropes etc.

10. All players must remain courtside for the duration of the evening. Physiotherapy will also take place courtside unless, in the opinion of the medical team, the treatment should be carried out in private.

11. All players must wear predominantly coloured clothing with no more than 20% white.

The very stunning courtyard of Somerset House is the setting for FILM4 SUMMER SCREEN. 

The magnificent 18th century Somerset House is transformed into a full-scale open-air cinema with state of the art giant screen, 35mm projection and surround-sound.

Up to 2,000 movie-goers a night can enjoy an inspired programme of movie premieres, classics and recent favorites, featuring comedy, horror, romance, thrillers, sci-fi and action and the UK premiere of Knocked Up.

With early evening dj sessions, food and drinks, the Film4 Summer Screen is the ultimate outdoor cinema experience in London.

Bring a designer picnic or just cheese on sticks, be seated on comfortable cushions or just wear your favorite jeans, weather permitting - this is one of the best summer nights out in the city 

The programme:

Thu 2 August Knocked Up 15, The People's Premiere
Fri 3 August The Descent 18 / The Thing 18
Sat 4 August The Good, The Bad and The Ugly 18
Sun 5 August Rushmore 15
Mon 6 August Rear Window PG
Tue 7 August ET the Extra Terrestrial U
Wed 8 August Walk the Line 12A
Thu 9 August Chak de India PG tbc
Fri 10 August Hot Fuzz 15 / Point Break 15
Sat 11 August 2001: A Space Odyssey U

Movie Notes:

KNOCKED UP "Completely brilliant… As near to perfect as a comedy can get" says The Times. The most unlikely of romances is also this year's funniest and most outrageous film. Everyone's invited to the People's Premiere of the eagerly-anticipated new comedy from the team behind 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' - the essential outdoor screening of the summer!

DOUBLE-BILL: THE DESCENT & THE THING Take care who joins you for this night of suspense and terror - you'll want to be with someone you trust! There's tension in tight spaces as six female potholers endure 'The Descent', while director John Carpenter unleashes something unspeakable in his 1982 cult classic.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY Clint Eastwood is The Man With No Name in one of the most powerful Western adventures ever filmed. The huge screen at Somerset House could have been created specially for the epic vision of director Sergio Leone.

RUSHMORE Director Wes Anderson ('The Royal Tenenbaums') pits the sublimely cynical Bill Murray against over-ambitious student Jason Schwartzman in a high school comedy that's sharper and more stylish - and has a better soundtrack! - than the rest.

REAR WINDOW Put yourself in James Stewart's position as he watches people across an open courtyard, although hopefully Somerset House won't bear witness to a suspected murder. Alfred Hitchcock carefully controls the suspense in this masterful mystery.

E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL You'll be able to scan the night sky for visitors while being transported back to your childhood by Steven Spielberg's fable about a friendly alien stranded far from home. Still exciting, still emotional - an enduring classic.

WALK THE LINE A rousing romantic drama about country music legends Johnny Cash and June Carter. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon dominate the big-screen, with their performances of Cash's famous songs creating the excitement of a live show.

CHAK DE INDIA - 'INDIA NOW' PREMIERE In celebration of the India Now season, Chak de India premieres as part of the Film4 Summer Screen, with top Indian star Shah Rukh Khan as a coach, who is fighting his personal demons as he takes a motley group of girls to the pinnacle of world hockey.

DOUBLE-BILL: HOT FUZZ & POINT BREAK 200% Pure Adrenaline! Ride a wave of action from Somerset to Malibu as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost make perfect partners in Edgar Wright's hit cop comedy, while Keanu Reeves surfs and skydives after Patrick Swayze in Kathryn Bigelow's fast-paced thriller.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY A visionary science-fiction epic from director Stanley Kubrick charting human evolution from the dawn of Man to beyond our imagination. The open-air courtyard - with infinite space above - is the perfect place for a film with neither artistic nor imaginative limits.

BOX OFFICE Ticketmaster: +0870 4000 603  (transaction fee may apply)

Doors open 6.30pm
DJs from 7.30pm
Film 9.15pm
Tickets: £12.50 (US$26).
Friday night double bills £15 (US$32)


Rugs available to buy or bring your own!

the review: 
Blonde Bombshells is based upon the true tradition of women forming bands in the war years to entertain the troops and keep up morale.  A story such as this can only be a winner.  And with opening night at the Richmond Theatre filled with staff and some members of the audience dressed up in period costumes, it was impossible to imagine how it could not be a roaring success.  Which of course it was!

But take a more critical look at the play and there appear to be a few cracks - most of which are due to the ambitious storyline which is spelt out from the outset of the play.

A young woman sits alone centre stage and describes the events during one day in 1943.  They cover such weighty themes as war, death, sex and much more.  As the stage opens up to the sight of a handful of women discussing the planned day's events for their band, the banter is unexpectedly poignant yet funny and it only gets better as the old members recruit new talent in the shape of a school girl, a nun and a member of the upperclasses.  The juxtaposition of the seven women works well; and it is only with the introduction of a male into the group that the intimacy breaks down.

It is the very obvious objective of the playwright to raise a particular theme in this playwhich breaks the continuity: the introduction of a 'draft dodger' juxtaposed by members of the band whose family have been lost or are missing because of war.

As the story line evolves, the band rehearse for their first BBC radio 'appearance' as they dress up the male (drummer) in women's clothes so that he fulfils the pre-promotion of an all-female line-up.  And it is these moments which seem awkward and almost irrelevant to a play that already has a human interest story which really does sell itself: the all female, wartime swing band.

The vulnerability of the women, their diverse characters, charming and entertaining performances and great music would have been enough to fully engage the audience; and Blonde Bombshells would have proved a more cohesive and fluent production without pushing an important but nevertheless irrelevant socio/political agenda.

But still, well worth a visit for the fabulous songs and many of those "only a group of women getting together" moments.

Alan Plater's award-winning show Blonde Bombshells of 1943 swings into Richmond Theatre. A warm, witty musical play filled with glorious, live swing band performances of 1940's classics by Fats Waller, The Andrews Sisters and Glen Miller. This delightful, nostalgic musical journey follows on from the great success of the initial tour and several sold-out performances.

The most glamorous all-girl swing band in the North, The Blonde Bombshells, loses members every time it plays a GI camp. Now there's an important BBC job in the offing and Betty needs to find new musicians - fast.

Among those recruited are naïve schoolgirl Liz, who plays a mean clarinet; Miranda, an upper-crust sexy saxophonist; singing nun Lily and Patrick, a male drummer prepared to don a frock in order to avoid a drafting! With her motley line-up complete, Betty and her band prepare to dodge Hitler's bombs and make the dangerous journey to a secret BBC recording - and potential fame and fortune.

Directed by Mark Babych, Blonde Bombshells of 1943 received the prestigious Blue Ribbon Manchester Evening News Award for Best Production of 2006. With live music played throughout by the multi-talented cast, audiences can relive the wartime spirit with all-time favourite songs including: - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree; T'aint What You Do; When I Grow Too Old To Dream; Tweet Tweet Shush Shush; and many more.

Based on Alan Plater's award-winning TV film The Last Of The Blonde Bombshells, which starred Judi Dench and Ian Holm. Alan Plater's Emmy and BAFTA award-winning work for television includes Fortunes Of War, The Beiderbecke Tapes, A Very British Coup and The Barchester Chronicles. His stage plays include Peggy For You, which was nominated for an Olivier award.

Cast - Oliver Chopping, Susie Emmett, Georgina Field, Andrea Getley, Allison Harding, Barbara Hockaday, Rosie Jenkins, Pam Jolley. Designed by Libby Watson, Lighting Designer James Farncombe, Musical Director Howard Gray.

Opening Night Extravaganza

Richmond Theatre is time travelling back to the Forties. A military vehicle, soldiers and characters in 1940s costume will welcome audiences into the theatre where they will be able to browse a collection of photos and memorabilia. Linda Carroll, an original blonde bombshell Windmill Theatre girl will also be in attendance. Patrons that arrive in 1940s costume will really be able to get into the swing of it!

BOX OFFICE +44870 060 6651 (transaction fee applies)

Tickets £12 (US$24) - £24 (US$48)

the review: 

Cubans sing from the heart and feel the very soul of their music; and Lady Salsa tells the story of Cuba and its music which lies at their very heart of this Caribbean island.

The show cleverly intertwines the politics and history of the country with the music, dance and passion of the people.   And it is that same passion which is the lifeblood of the Cuba of today.

Lady Salsa is almost faultless and as to be expected from its country of origin, it is the male dancers that dominate in this fabulously entertaining show.

The show brings to life the colour of the country of Cuba as it draws the audience into the mesmerizing rythmn and soul of the artists who have performed around the world but are clearly still in love with their own country and culture that is everything Cuba.

Simply unmissable.

Adam Spiegel in association with ATA Allstar Artists Pty. Ltd presents Lady Salsa; and the story of this music is the story of her life.

Red-hot Latin sensation Lady Salsa was first performed at the 2000 Edinburgh Festival and become an instant hit with both audiences and the press. It quickly transferred to the West End where it ran for over a year. Since then it has continuously toured across the world with hugely successful seasons and now, this summer, the sensational song and dance spectacular returns to Richmond hot on the heels of its sell-out UK success.

Lady Salsa grew up in the mountains in the east of the island of Cuba. Like her, salsa music was born from a love affair between the Spanish guitar and the African drum, making Cuba the indisputable mother of modern salsa music, alive with hot, spicy Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

Throughout Cuba's history, politics and music have become melded together. Lady Salsa takes audiences on a thrilling ride through that relationship and the irresistible sounds that bring the island to life. Lady Salsa is the Cuban dance and music spectacular that interweaves the amazing true story of the revolution with the history of this unique island's music and dance, tracing its roots through earthy slave rhythms and elegant twentieth century jazz, ending in Havana with a spectacular finale featuring the stunning salsa routines for which Cuba is famous today.

From the producer of West End smash hits Fame and Saturday Night Fever and directed by Toby Gough, this whirling kaleidoscope of dazzling colour and seductive glamour charts Cuba's vibrant and volatile history from dictatorship through to liberation with red hot rumba, mambo, cha-cha, macarena and the sensational salsa. Leading the cast is Trinidad Ronaldo, one of Cuba's most famous multi-award-winning actresses, singers and dancers, who has performed for more than 50 years across the world including many performances with the Buena Vista Social Club. She also recently caused a sensation when her impromptu kiss with President Castro (at the 40th anniversary of the revolutionary celebrations) was transmitted live across Cuba.

Featuring twenty of Cuba's hottest, sexiest dancers in an incredible array of glittering, sexy costumes and an fabulous ten piece live Cuban band, Lady Salsa transports audiences to the steamy streets of Havana and the world of salsa, rum and revolution. It's time to turn up the heat and succumb to the spirit of salsa!

BOX OFFICE +44870 060 6651 (transaction fee applies)

As part of the week long celebration of Cuban Salsa Dance and Music, local Salsa group Suave Salsa will be holding a Workshop of Cuban Dance and Music.

SATURDAY 14TH JULY
3.30-4.30pm  Percussion Class with Doug Smith (local percussion master).
4.30-5.30pm Cuban Salsa class (all levels with Suave Salsa).
Venue: Odd Fellows Hall, Parkshot (same road as the theatre) Richmond, TW9 2RD

the review: 

Despite the absence of Rik Mayall due to ill-health this viscously entertaining insight into the depths of British and international politics knows few boundaries. 
Every hot topic is covered; and the dialogue shows no mercy.  Not for the feint-hearted, this acerbic attack on almost every target in sight is tinged throughout with a sense that it is not too far from the truth!!!!

Politics is made ridiculous and politicians fare even worse.
The stand-in Alan B'stard (Mike Sherman) made no attempt to mimic Rik Mayall and true to every politician he was 'his own man'; which made this show a side-splitting success -  from start to finish.

BRAND NEW INSTALMENT DIRECT FROM WEST END SUCCESS

Rik Mayall stars in

The New Statesman

Rik Mayall is back, and he’s playing his favourite, deliciously devious and deceitful character, Alan B’stard MP! He invented New Labour and now he’s on a mission to keep them in power forever.

Despite having a country to run, and regardless of who’s in Number 10, B’Stard is only concerned with joining the Trillionaires Club. Condoleezza Rice has the key, but will she allow Alan access all areas?

This brand new instalment, penned for the stage by original award-winning writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, is brought bang up to date with all the topical issues of the moment, whether embarrassing, hilarious or just downright rude!

Join Alan B’Stard as Blair prepares for his farewell tour and the cabinet discuss the issues of the day – school dinners, unmarried mothers and what the Blairs will do next.

Don’t miss Rik Mayall’s (The Young Ones, Bottom) hilarious comedy creation in this brand new instalment which also stars Lysette Anthony (Three Up, Two Down; Vagina Monologues) as Alan’s devious, and equally corrupt, wife Arabella B’Stard.

Richmond Theatre
Richmond Green

show times

srarting July 1, 2007
Post show discussion on July 5, 2007
Wed and Sat mats.

Sophie Dickens is one of the rising stars of British figurative sculpture. She is the first new contemporary artist to be shown at The Sladmore Gallery in eight years. Her solo show runs from 22 May to 15 June and thereafter works will remain on display at the gallery. This year, Sophie won the first Sculpture Prize at the V & A Inspired by the Human Form - The Founders' Award. Her winning sculpture, Turning Man is now on view in the Gilbert Bayes Gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum to 4 August.

The Sladmore's exemplary reputation in displaying 19th and early 20th century modern and contemporary fine bronze sculpture is complemented by Sophie's modern interpretation of the Classics. Gerry Farrell, Director, Sladmore Contemporary explains "It is a testament to our reputation in the field of contemporary sculpture that an artist of her standing has chosen to show with us. Her virtuoso modelling technique using wood and steel and plaster to create her sculptures translates incredibly well into bronze...Her awareness of the sculpture of previous centuries coupled with her narrative ability (she is the great great grand-daughter of Charles Dickens) make work that is modern and original yet connects satisfyingly with the past".

Sophie is excited to be exhibiting alongside the old masters such as Rodin and Degas which the gallery sells. Continuing the tradition established by the Old Masters is very important to her. Passing down of the traditional techniques together with the study of human form is integral to Sophie's work. An undercurrent of artists are still doing this. Sophie says that "it is amazing to have the Sculpture Prize at the V & A and the Sladmore Gallery reasserting the importance of traditional ways of making sculpture in a modern context. Taking the old techniques and moving them forward ties both events together".

The Sladmore Gallery
32 Bruton Place, off Berkeley Square
London W1J 6NW

how

call gallery
+4420 7499 0365

show times

through  June 15, 2007
From 15 June, works will remain on display 

ACT PRODUCTIONS PRESENT A CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

the review:
For those of you who are familiar with Alan Bennet's plays, you will be well aware that there is always a twist, with the juxtaposition of ideas culminating in a very clear and obvious message about the society of the day.

Hence, these two short plays come together to underline the 'revolution'  in the working culture and ethics of industry and commerce in the seventies, during the introduction of Thatcher's free market.  A period of dramatic change and much discontent.

But it is not to the free market that Bennett addresses his wit in the Office Suite.  It is the introduction of new technology - big brother - that feels the full weight of his mighty penmanship.

The first play takes a leisurely and almost laborious perspective on the topic as a current member of staff visits her retired boss.  The conversation is like thick porridge - two people who worked together but have nothing in common other than past shared work experiences.   Why Miss Prothero would chose to visit her former boss is unclear.  But she does have an agenda which finally comes out after the minutia draws to an end and she has to catch her bus.  She announces how the  efficient systems which formed the backbone of the organizational structure have been replaced  - not only by new management but also by the time saving computer.

Should this be admired or reviled?

The second of the two one act plays goes for the jugular as the paranoia of downsizing an organization - with the introduction of new, fresh management and new ideas - leaves the paperwork pen-pushers to conclude they are to be replaced by a new generation of labour.  But in what form will this transition take place?
Will the new generation be a younger, better trained person? Or a computer? Or a work ethic?  Or perhaps - most scary of all - a combination of all three.

At first glance this 1970's revival might appeared dated.  But think twice.  What has been the outcome of a free market in combination with new technology?  It's a faster and more efficient world but is it a better world?

Go see the play and wonderful performances to draw your own conclusion.

For most of us today, the debate has only just started!

And please note: if you not seated close to the stage bring along a pair of theatre to capture all the nuances of yet another of Alan Bennet's slice of life, acerbic and comic dramas.

Anyone who has ever endured the tedium of working life will be able to relate to Office Suite. Direct from its speedy sell-out success in Chichester, Office Suite is a gloriously funny double-bill of one-act comedies starring Patricia Routledge, A Visit from Miss Prothero and Green Forms, by the master of modern comedy, Alan Bennett.

Just as the television series The Office exposed the humour and pain of life in the work place, so Office Suite captures the relationships between colleagues with an attention to comic detail that is typical of Bennett. And as ever, his humour is laced with moments of great poignancy.

Edward Petherbridge stars alongside Patricia Routledge in A Visit from Miss Prothero. Retired from Warburton's where he was a mainstay of management systems, he is content to potter, chat to Millie his budgie and pursue an interest in cordon bleu cookery. However, his relaxed routine comes under threat when his one-time colleague Miss Prothero decides to visit.

In Green Forms, Doreen and Doris are two dilatory office workers comfortably installed in an obscure office within a huge corporate organisation. They are happy to while away their day dealing with departmental intrigues of artificial hips, rubber plants and feuds over an appropriated washbasin plug. It is only with the arrival of a green form and the spectre of Dorothy Binns that their world becomes a little less ordered.

Office Suite was originally written for television and specifically for Patricia Routledge. Routledge's comic timing coupled with Bennett's mordant wit makes this a perfect stage combination.

Alan Bennett is one of the country's most popular writers. His television series Talking Heads has become a modern classic, as have many of his works for the stage including Forty Years On, The Lady in the Van, The Madness of King George III and most recently The History Boys, which won the Evening Standard and Critics' Circle awards for Best Play, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play and the Southbank Award.

The cast also includes David Bannerman, Janet Dale and Carole Street.

Director Edward Kemp has previously worked with Bennett on The Madness of King George III (US Tour) and The Wind in the Willows at the National Theatre. He has also directed Routledge in Wild Orchids at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2002.

Designed by Simon Higlett; Lighting design by Mark Jonathan

Richmond Theatre, Richmond

how

call box office
+44870 060 6651 (transaction fee applies)
£13 (US$26) - £27 (US$54)

show times

Mon-Sat eves 7.45pm
Wed & Sat mats 2.30pm

© bbbworldwide2007

factoids

The Exhibitors:

• There are around 600 exhibitors at the show.
• In 2007 this includes… 20 show gardens, 27 small gardens in the Chic, City, Courtyard and Roof categories and over 100 floral exhibitors in the Great Pavilion.
• Some exhibitors such as Notcutts, Blackmore & Langdon and Kelways have been exhibiting since the RHS Chelsea Flower Show began.
• Among the top garden designers creating show gardens this year are Jinny Blom, Chris Beardshaw, Andy Sturgeon, Diarmuid Gavin and Gabriella Pape and Isabelle Van Groeningen.
• First time exhibitors at this year's show include: Show gardens - Linda Bush 'The Hasmead Sand & Ice Garden', Michael Vout and Chris Jones 'The Thomas Telford Tollhouse Garden', Ulf Nordfell ' A Tribute to Linnaeus' and Trevor Tooth 'Lloyds TSB Show Garden' Floral exhibitors - City of Durban, Cardiff County Council and Farmyard Nurseries

more factoids

 
© bbbworldwide2007

The Show:

• The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been held at the Royal Hospital since 1913. The 2007 show will be the 85th show to be held on this site.

• Marshalls is the new sponsor of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

• 157,000 visitors will attend the show. This has been the capped figure since 1988.

• Over 300 new plants have been launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show over the past five years.

• It takes up to three weeks to build a show garden and 10 days to build a chic, city or courtyard.

• The Great Pavilion is most popular feature at the show.

• The Great Pavilion covers over 12,000m2 - that's enough room to park 500 London buses!

• The showground covers 11 acres.

Press day at Chelsea found the usual suspects - journalists, BBB camera crews and celebrities mingling in the tents during the intermittent showers and wandering around the gardens under cloudy skies.

So how did this year's show stack up in the context of previous years?

This was probably the best Chelsea for a long time - with few disasters and much to admire.

The overall high standard was perhaps a reflection of the times.  Most gardens focused on the 'tranquil' combination of swaying green and purple planting against a backdrop of the modern simple straight lines of garden furniture, 'flooring and backdrops.  The lack of originality and risk-taking was obvious; as was the lack of need to sell the environmentally friendly message because it was everywhere.  Almost every garden was in good taste and there was a welcome absence of glaring garden artwork and sculpture.

Rare instances of humour in the design came in the form of a garden from Cardiff.  It stood out in the Grand Pavilion as celebrities waited in line to be photographed in front of a 'real'  Doctor Who Tardis.  And why not?  After all, the full repertoire of gardens on show also had the wher-with-all to traverse the length and breath of the traditional and the modern from around the world.

review to follow press day

where

In the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, SW3

how

call +440870 247 1226
Show information - 0207 649 1885

£12.50 - £44 All tickets must be bought in advance

when

Exhibition opening times
Tuesday May May 22 - Friday 25: 8am - 8pm
Saturday May :26 8am - 5.30pm (sell-off starts at 4pm)

Man Ray Model in Dominguez' wheelbarrow, 1937 Victoria and Albert Museum, London
© Man Ray Trust/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2006

The review:

Art should not  be too serious, or take itself too seriously; and yet at the same time it should act as a commentary on society, allbeit yesterday's, today's or tomorrow's.

Today we are in love with retro; and in many aspects of our lives we experience  a nostalgic look back at the more frivolous times of the thirties and the sixties.

Surreal Things focuses as much onthe light-hearted, mid-war humour as any other period; but it is its 'surreal' vision of everyday things alongside glamorous artifacts that makes it not so dissimilar to the equally refreshing approach of the sixties.

When artists identify art, architecture, theatre, fashion, design and much more as worthy of a substantial helping of irony, the reference is pertinent to the sensitivities of that moment in time.

Entertainment and humour challenge our asumptions and that is what makes  surrealism in 1930's equally pertinent and attractive in this new millennium retrospective period.

300 exhibts fill three large rooms - but try and visit outside of peak times so that you can get a close-up look at some of the divine details.

A timely exhibition, we leave the V&A impresssed and entertained by the beauty of some of the exhibits and something of a sense of déjà vu. 

Surreal Things is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see 300 of the most extraordinary objects ever created, in a spectacular theatrical setting.

This exhibition is the first to explore the influence of Surrealism on the worlds of fashion, design, theatre, interiors, film, architecture and advertising. It shows how artists engaged with design and how designers were inspired by Surrealism.

The Surrealists explored unique ways of interpreting the world, turning to dreams and the unconscious as inspiration for a new vision. Their innovative thinking challenged convention, changing perceptions of the world in which they lived and transforming the language of art and design. Surrealist imagery and ideas were absorbed into the worlds of fashion, commercial design, graphics and film and many Surrealist artists were actively engaged with these activities throughout their careers.

Alongside paintings by Magritte and Ernst are Elsa Schiaparelli's dramatic 'Skeleton' dress, Meret Oppenheim's 'Table with Bird's Legs', Oscar Dominguez's satin-lined wheelbarrow, and many world-famous works by Salvador Dali including paintings, the 'Mae West Lips Sofa', the 'Lobster Telephone' and 'Venus de Milo with Drawers'. Other highlights include Giorgio de Chirico's costumes and set designs for Diaghilev's 'The Ball', film clips including the dream sequence from Alfred Hitchcock's 'Spellbound', and a case study of Monkton, the purple-painted Sussex home of the English Surrealist patron Edward James.

Salvador Dalí, Téléphone-homard [Lobster Telephone], 1938.
© Salvador Dalí, Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation, DACS, London 2006

Man Ray Model in Dominguez' wheelbarrow, 1937 Victoria and Albert Museum, London
© Man Ray Trust/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2006

events

just a sampler

V&A Screen: Surrealism and Film A programme of classic Surrealist films

Spellbound (PG) 13 April, 19.30

Dreams That Money Can Buy (12) 14 April and 15 April, 13.00

Double bill: Un Chien Andalou (15) and L'Âge D'or (15) 14 April and 15 April, 15.00

Tickets:£4 (US$8), no concessions. Booking essential

Evening Course: Exploring Surrealism: Chance-Dream-Desire-Taboo

Fridays 1, 8, 15, 22 June, 18.30-20.30

Seminar room 1

This four-week evening course aims to introduce and explore some key themes from Surrealism and discuss them in relation to philosophy and particular works in the 'Surreal Things' exhibition. This course will be taught through a variety of interactive sessions. Students will be encouraged to discuss and explore the various themes through structured small group activities supplemented by short lectures and plenary discussions. Teaching will take place both in a classroom and within the exhibition itself. Students will be encouraged to engage both with philosophical ideas and with the objects on display. This course does not pre-suppose any prior knowledge of philosophy or surrealism. Led by Nigel Warburton, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Open University

Cost: £95 (US$190), concessions available.

The Surreal Weekend 14 and 15 April, 11.00-17.00

Various locations

Extraordinary performances, workshops, talks and classic films. Includes a light and shadow show, surreal art workshops for families, psychoanalytic and gender perspectives on the Surrealist movement and the opportunity to try your hand at automatic writing. Remember to bring a bizarre object to incorporate into our objet trouvé installation!

Free and drop-in

where

Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7

how

call +4420 7942 2000

when

Exhibition opening times
Daily 10:00-17:45 (last ticket sold 16:45, last entry 17:00)
Fridays 10:00-22:00 (last ticket sold 20:45, last entry 21:00)

access

Full access to the galleries.
Call +$$20 7942 2766 for details.

Treats was first staged in London in 1975; and despite the fact that it is a very funny comedy, it is hard to imagine how at that time some of the 'darker' elements of the play would not have caused controversy.

The play involves three characters and spins around a familiar 'axis of evil': the love triangle.

The two male members of the cast successfully capture the idiosyncrasies of their characters: Laurence Fox plays Patrick - dependable, a little boring, a 'do the right thing kinda guy'.  Kris Marshall is Dave - a more sophisticated and complex character who demonstrates just how 'the good guy, bad guy' technique can be exploited by the same person.  From bully boy to a weak snivelling man, Marshall plays his two 'parts' with fluidity and great ease; and he is certainly the one who gets the majority of the laughs. 

But which character is really pulling the strings?

Certainly not Patrick, and most likely Dave; or is the reality the fact that is is the female member of the triangle played by Billie Piper who really dominates all three of the relationships?

The play is in part let down by the performance of Piper as she appears to lack the stage experience to perform the necessary subtleties of a character like Ann - a woman who may, or may not, like to be in control of her relationships. 

Despite the excellent characterizations by her two boyfriends who are both besotted by her, the audience is never placed in a position from which they can debate just 'who is', or 'who are' the victims in this love triangle.

Ann just seems unimpressed by both Patrick and Dave;  and therefore, she leaves the audience confused as to why she is actually involved with them.  Unable to answer this question, the audience remains 'empty-handed', without the ammunition to 'analyze' the emotional triangle and at the same time, responsible for deciding whether or not Ann is cruelly manipulate or just a female who doesn't know what she wants.

With better direction this could be a great night out; and because of the excellent script it still stacks up as a good night out.  And definitely worth a visit if you are in Richmond this week; or when it transfers to the West End.

first up  TREATS  

Richmond Theatre is one of only four tour dates before Billie Piper makes her West End debut in Christopher Hampton's sharply observed and darkly funny drama of interchanging relationships. Ann (Billie Piper) replaces her egotistical boyfriend Dave (Kris Marshall) with the more 'conventional' Patrick (Laurence Fox), only to find that she can't make up her mind as to what (or who) she really wants…

Since making the transition to acting following a successful music career, Billie Piper has become one of Britain's best-loved personalities. She has starred alongside some of the biggest names in television, winning numerous awards, including (for two consecutive years) the National Television Award for Most Popular Actress, for playing Rose Tyler in Doctor Who. Billie recently appeared in the BBC adaptation The Ruby in the Smoke and will soon star in Mansfield Park for ITV. Other TV credits include The Canterbury Tales, Much Ado About Nothing and Bella and the Boys; film credits include The Calcium Kid for Working Title, Thing's To Do Before Your 30! and Spirit Trap.

Joining Billie are TV favourites Kris Marshall and Laurence Fox. Kris is well known for playing bumbling son Nick (alongside Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker) in six hit series of the BBC drama My Family. Kris also starred alongside Amanda Donohoe in Murder City and appeared in The Merchant Of Venice with Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. Laurence is perhaps best known to TV audiences as Kevin Whatley's sidekick in Lewis. He has just finished filming Shekar Kapur's Golden Age with Cate Blanchett and starred in the feature film The Hole opposite Keira Knightley and in Robert Altman's Gosford Park.

Written by Christopher Hampton, Treats was originally presented at the Royal Court in 1975, staring Jane Asher, Stephen Moore and James Bolam, where it enjoyed great success.

Christopher Hampton won an Academy Award and BAFTA for Dangerous Liasions, which he adapted from his own play, Les Liaisons Dangereuses. He has dominated the West End with such classics as The Philanthropist, Savages and Total Eclipse and also wrote the libretto for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard, for which he won a Tony Award for best Book of a Musical.

Treats is directed by the Olivier award winner Laurence Boswell who has had numerous recent West End successes, most notably A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, This is our Youth, Popcorn and Up for Grabs. As Associate Director for the RSC he most recently worked on The Spanish Golden Age Season for which he won an Olivier for Outstanding Achievement.

THE LAST LAUGH

starring Martin Freeman for the Brit comedy THE OFFICE

at

RICHMOND THEATRE

THE LAST LAUGH

February 19 - 24, 2007

By Richard Harris Directed by Bob Tomson, adapted from an original play by Koki Mitani

Richmond Theatre audiences will certainly be having The Last Laugh this February, as starring in Richard Harris' brand new comedy are two of the UK's best-loved comedy actors.

In this delightful and moving satire, Martin Freeman plays a beleaguered comedy troupe writer. Obliged by law to submit his latest script for government approval, he finds himself having to go toe-to-toe with a newly appointed hard-nosed government censor, played by Roger Lloyd Pack.

As he diligently attempts to rework his play, incorporating the censor's unconventional edits, the most unlikely partnership starts to flourish and the men become engaged in their own world, crafting the funniest play they can imagine, whilst the spectre of the outside world threatens to destroy everything.

Martin Freeman trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama where he regularly participated with the Youth Action Theatre in Teddington, before finding work in several productions at the National Theatre. His big break came in 2001 when he landed the role of the laconic, love-sick Tim in Ricky Gervais' cult comedy The Office. This led to various film roles including Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead and the hit film adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. As well as his various comic roles including the sitcom Hardware, Freeman has also appeared as Lord Shaftesbury in the BBC's Charles II: The Power and The Passion and the 2006 film Breaking and Entering with Jude Law and Ray Winstone.

Roger Lloyd Pack is best known to TV audiences as Trigger in the much-loved comedy Only Fools and Horses. Roger has recently appeared in Mark Ravenhill's adaptation of Dick Whittington at The Barbican, as well as the final episodes of the BBC's The Vicar Of Dibley. He also appeared in the 2006 ITV drama What We Did On Our Holidays. Recent theatre work includes the narrator in The Rocky Horror Show, The Winterling at The Royal Court and Blue/ Orange directed by Kathy Burke.

Writer Richard Harris adds this hilarious production to his impressive rollcall of comedies such as Party Piece, Outside Edge, Going Straight and Stepping Out. Harris has also written for numerous television series including The Darling Buds of May, A Touch of Frost and Shoestring.

THE LAST LAUGH

starring Martin Freeman for the Brit comedy THE OFFICE

at

RICHMOND THEATRE

THE LAST LAUGH

February 19 - 24, 2007

By Richard Harris Directed by Bob Tomson, adapted from an original play by Koki Mitani

Richmond Theatre audiences will certainly be having The Last Laugh this February, as starring in Richard Harris' brand new comedy are two of the UK's best-loved comedy actors.

In this delightful and moving satire, Martin Freeman plays a beleaguered comedy troupe writer. Obliged by law to submit his latest script for government approval, he finds himself having to go toe-to-toe with a newly appointed hard-nosed government censor, played by Roger Lloyd Pack.

As he diligently attempts to rework his play, incorporating the censor's unconventional edits, the most unlikely partnership starts to flourish and the men become engaged in their own world, crafting the funniest play they can imagine, whilst the spectre of the outside world threatens to destroy everything.

Martin Freeman trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama where he regularly participated with the Youth Action Theatre in Teddington, before finding work in several productions at the National Theatre. His big break came in 2001 when he landed the role of the laconic, love-sick Tim in Ricky Gervais' cult comedy The Office. This led to various film roles including Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead and the hit film adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. As well as his various comic roles including the sitcom Hardware, Freeman has also appeared as Lord Shaftesbury in the BBC's Charles II: The Power and The Passion and the 2006 film Breaking and Entering with Jude Law and Ray Winstone.

Roger Lloyd Pack is best known to TV audiences as Trigger in the much-loved comedy Only Fools and Horses. Roger has recently appeared in Mark Ravenhill's adaptation of Dick Whittington at The Barbican, as well as the final episodes of the BBC's The Vicar Of Dibley. He also appeared in the 2006 ITV drama What We Did On Our Holidays. Recent theatre work includes the narrator in The Rocky Horror Show, The Winterling at The Royal Court and Blue/ Orange directed by Kathy Burke.

Writer Richard Harris adds this hilarious production to his impressive rollcall of comedies such as Party Piece, Outside Edge, Going Straight and Stepping Out. Harris has also written for numerous television series including The Darling Buds of May, A Touch of Frost and Shoestring.

The Blackrock Masters Tennis The Blackrock Masters Tennis The Blackrock Masters Tennis The Blackrock Masters Tennis

at the Royal Albert Hall

December 5-10, 2006

"McEnroe hopes to regain his

title"........

Despite the fact that McEnroe was out in the quarter finals against Rios, he put on a brave face - and after an initial reaction that he would be back next year to play someone almost twenty years his junior - he quickly regained his competitive edge and said that he would give it another year.

Rios won the match 6-3, 6-2, but McEnroe twice broke the Rios serve and felt let down by the part of his game that helped make him a three-time Wimbledon champion in the 1980’s.

“I didn’t volley that well and that’s disappointing because I had some chances,” said McEnroe afterwards. "I didn’t do enough with the ball. Part of that is because Rios moves so well. I was hitting the ball well, moving pretty well, and you would think after 30 years you would play big points better than I did. I didn’t feel bad, I just wasn’t making the shots. I felt like I could make them and I don’t know why I wasn’t doing so. That’s the disappointing thing.”

After the disappointment of losing, he assured reporters that he had no plans to retire: “I think it’s worth putting some time in and working on how to get back to my bread-and-butter – moving forward and finishing the points at net.”

All agreed., as the tournament gets more coverage, the competition is becoming more serous.   And while some of the old favorites are not participating any more - such as Becker and Nastase - and the old familiar faces are finding it tough to compete with the 'bright new things', it's great for tennis in Britain that live indoor tennis 'rocks' in London in the Royal Albert Hall

ORDER OF PLAY

Saturday 9th December

At 1:30pm

MUSTER & MCNAMARA v JARRYD & BAHRAMI

At 2.30pm

Goran IVANISEVIC v Cedric PIOLINE  (semi-final)

ELTINGH & HAARHUIS v LECONTE & CASH

At 7.30pm

Marcelo RIOS v Paul HAARHUIS (semi-final)

BAHRAMI/WILKINSON v GULLIKSON/FLEMING

JARRYD/ELTINGH v BATES/LECONTE